Off day: MSU vs. Pitt

By: Sean Ely Posted: 03/21/08 3:16pm

Denver — All you amateur dancers, please leave the floor — we only have room for those who can hang with the best.

By the end of today, the field of 65 will be narrowed down to the top 32.

And as good as it sounds to have the MSU men’s basketball team a part of the craziness — they aren’t satisfied with the “Top 32 in the country” status.

If Siena upets Vanderbilt later today but then exit the dance floor in the second round after a loss to Clemson or Villanova, Saints head coach Fran McCaffery might say at a post-game press conference that he is thrilled his squad made it this far and he knows they left it all out on the court — leaving no reason to be upset.

MSU’s coaching guru Tom Izzo?

Ha! You’d have to have a UFC fighter put him in an ankle-lock before he ever admited to the media he is satisfied with winning just one round.

And even there, you might still be pressing your luck.

That’s who Izzo is and that’s how he’ll always be.

After Thursday’s game against Temple, Izzo admitted he’s borrowed some offensive and defensive sets from coaches he’s been surrounded by in his coaching career — names like Jud Heathcote, Larry Brown and Chuck Daly.

You better believe he wants to win just as badly as those three wanted to. Why do you think Izzo has had such success in the month of March throughout his 13 years as head coach of the Green and White?

He’s learned from some of the best — had it pounded into his head that you should want to die for a championship.

I don’t think anyone wants it as badly as he does right now.

Nobody.